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☆ Americans spend an average of $91.75 on Amazon each month—these are the 10 highest-spending states
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With Prime Day right around the corner, a new survey has shown just how much money Amazon is able to squeeze out of its customers. The average American spends $91.75 on the ecommerce site each month, according to data gathered by Upgraded Points, which quizzed 3,200 shoppers across 44 states about their Amazon consumption habits. While customers who aren't Amazon Prime members spend an average of $38 per month, members of the subscription shopping service spend an average of $110 per month, or $1,320 a year, the survey found. During Amazon's Prime Day shopping holiday, customers reported spending an average of $117 on discounted products. I know I'm very guilty of it," Bre Lewis, a research assistant at Upgraded Points, says of spending money on Amazon.

Persons: Bre Lewis, they've, Lewis Organizations: Amazon, Foods, CNBC

☆ 'Barbenheimer' is coming: AMC says it has already sold 20,000 same-day tickets for the 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' double feature
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Move over Taylor Swift, summer's hottest ticket is a "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" double feature. AMC Theaters this week announced that more than 20,000 members of its AMC Stubs loyalty program have purchased tickets to watch the unlikely cinematic pairing on the same day. Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" have been slated for a July 21 release for the past year. The juxtaposition between the bright and bubbly "Barbie" and the dour, nuclear bomb drama has led internet users to declare "Barbenheimer" a must-see double feature. "I want to see both 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer,'" Cruise said.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Oppenheimer, Greta Gerwig's, Christopher Nolan's, Elizabeth Frank, Barbie, Tom Cruise, Cruise, Warren Buffett Organizations: AMC, Variety

With a straight sets victory over Alexander Zverev without dropping serve in the third round, Berrettini has suddenly emerged as a dark horse at Wimbledon. "I'm not seeded but it's a tough draw," said a smiling Berrettini, a finalist in 2021. Berrettini missed the 2022 Wimbledon with COVID-19 while injuries in the past year saw the Italian's ranking plummet. "Every match that I win on Centre Court is better for me to get into this court, this atmosphere ... I feel that I belong to that court," Alcaraz said.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Matteo Berrettini, Berrettini, Alexander Zverev, I'm, Carlos, it's, Alcaraz, Nicolas Jarry, Elena Rybakina, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Petra Kvitova, Jabeur, Petra, Rohith Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Wimbledon, All England Club, Thomson Locations: Australia, COVID, Wimbledon, Bengaluru

☆ Alcaraz passes test at Wimbledon, Rybakina on fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In the men's draw, third seed Daniil Medvedev and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas both swept through while 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini set up a showdown with Alcaraz. With the big-serving Berrettini up next, Alcaraz, who was a break down in the fourth set, said Saturday's test was just what he needed. Rybakina ensured a demoralising 48 hours for Britain as she demolished Katie Boulter 6-1 6-1 to end home hopes in the singles. But she lasted only 57 minutes as Kazakhstan's Rybakina sent out an ominous warning to those wanting her title. Second seed Sabalenka is also in the groove heading into the second week after a 6-2 6-3 defeat of Anna Blinkova.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Chile's Nicolas Jarry, Toby Melville LONDON, Carlos Alcaraz, Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Petra Kvitova, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos, Matteo Berrettini, Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz, Berrettini, Alexander Zverev, Medvedev, Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, Rybakina, Katie Boulter, Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie, Liam Broady, Kazakhstan's Rybakina, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Sorana, Maria Bueno, Anna Blinkova, Canada's Bianca Andreescu, Serbia's, Holger Rune, Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Rune, Christopher Eubanks, Chris O'Connell, Tsitsipas, Martyn Herman, Clare Fallon Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Chile's, Wimbledon, Queen's, Court, Serbian, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Belarusian, Ukraine, U.S, Berlin

☆ Alcaraz gets confidence boost from Jarry test
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chilean Jarry stole a set and threatened to snatch another before the world number one moved into the fourth round with a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 7-5 victory on Centre Court. Every match that I win on Centre Court is better for me to get into this court, this atmosphere," he told reporters. "As I said, last year it was really tough for me to play first match in the Centre Court. Every match that I didn't play on that court, I feel, as I said, that I belong to that court." "I watched a lot of videos, a lot of matches from legends playing on that beautiful court," he said.

Persons: Carlo Alcaraz, Nicolas Jarry, Chilean Jarry, Toby Davis, Clare Fallon Organizations: Wimbledon, Court, U.S, Thomson Locations: Chilean

HOUSTON/CARACAS, July 7 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition is crafting a proposal for the country to redirect about 200,000 barrels per day of its oil exports to a trustee to pay creditors with claims on the nation's foreign assets. A negotiation team representing Venezuela in late 2022 began formal talks with some creditors, including miner Crystallex and oil producer ConocoPhillips (COP.N), to avoid the loss of Citgo. A license by the U.S. Treasury Department would be required and Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA would not have access to cash flow from those exports, Medina said. One of the opposition's arguments is that PDVSA is currently forced by U.S. sanctions to sell its oil in Asia at deep discounts. Energy analysts estimate the U.S. Gulf Coast has more room for processing Venezuela's heavy sour crude grades.

Persons: Horacio Medina, Nicolas Maduro, Medina, PDVSA, refiners Citgo, Marianna Parraga, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: HOUSTON, Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, United Nations, Maduro, U.S . Treasury Department, Valero Energy, PBF Energy, Treasury Department, Chevron Corp, PDVSA, Chevron, . Energy, Gulf, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, Venezuelan, United States, China, Houston, Washington, American, Asia, Chevron, Caracas

☆ Top FARC dissident leader Ivan Marquez dead - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BOGOTA, July 6 (Reuters) - Ivan Marquez, the well-known leader of a faction of former FARC rebels who returned to arms after a peace deal with Colombia's government, has died in Venezuela, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The attack against Marquez, whose real name was Luciano Marín Arango, may have been led by Ivan Mordisco, leader of a rival FARC dissident group, according to security sources. Colombia's Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told journalists there was still no official information on Marquez's death. Marquez later emerged as the leader of the so-called Segunda Marquetalia, a group of former FARC who took up arms anew. Petro reopened diplomatic and trade relations with Venezuela and Venezuela is a guarantor at Colombia's peace talks with the National Liberation Army rebels.

Persons: Ivan Marquez, Marquez, Luciano Marín Arango, Ivan Mordisco, Ivan Velasquez, Gustavo Petro, Miguel Botache Santillana, Gentil Duarte, Seuxis Hernandez, Hernan Dario Velasquez, Jesus Santrich, El Paisa, Nicolas Maduro, Petro, Luis Jaime Acosta, Vivian Sequera, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Segunda, Colombia's, Venezuela's Ministry, Information, National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Venezuela, Colombia, Caracas, Venezuela's, United States, Colombian

☆ Top FARC dissident leader Ivan Marquez dead, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The attack against Marquez, whose real name was Luciano Marín Arango, may have been led by Ivan Mordisco, leader of a rival FARC dissident group, according to security sources. Colombia's Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told journalists there was still no official information on Marquez's death. Marquez later emerged as the leader of the so-called Segunda Marquetalia, a group of former FARC who took up arms anew. Marquez died in Venezuela the two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, which also included an intelligence source. Petro reopened diplomatic and trade relations with Venezuela and Venezuela is a guarantor at Colombia's peace talks with the National Liberation Army rebels.

It's a really sharp pain if I think about it," Berrettini told reporters. "I think he's one of the best grasscourt players that we have. In the last few years he's made a Wimbledon final, he's won Queen's two times. I think he's an incredible player on grass," Zverev said. I think (grass is) his favourite surface, probably my least favourite.

Persons: Matteo Berrettini, Australia’s Alex De Minaur, Toby Melville, Alexander Zverev, Berrettini, Lorenzo Sonego, Alex de Minaur, Zverev, Roland Garros, he's, Carlos Alcaraz, Nicolas Jarry, Bianca Andreescu, Elena Rybakina, Katie Boulter, Rybakina, Rohith Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Australia’s Alex De Minaur REUTERS, showcourts, Wimbledon, Stuttgart, Queen's, Roland, Court, U.S, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Halle, Bengaluru

☆ ‘Anti-American’ Chinese pundit faces backlash for attending Independence Day party at US Embassy in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A Chinese nationalist pundit known for his inflammatory criticism of the United States has attracted ridicule online after he was shown attending a party celebrating Independence Day at the US embassy in Beijing – and apparently having a great time while there. American ambassador Nicolas Burns invited me to dinner,” exclaimed the headline of an article Sima posted Wednesday. In the article, he praised the “spectacular” food offered at the event, to which “national day celebrations at the Russian embassy cannot compare,” he said. (Though the Russian embassy’s ice cream is tastier, he concluded after eating four scoops of American ice cream). Sima also observed the “festive atmosphere” of the US celebration, in contrast to the discussions on “serious topics” by guests at the Russian embassy.

Persons: Sima Nan, ”, Sima, “, Nicolas Burns, Burns, Mr, Burns ’, It’s, “ Sima Nan Organizations: CNN, Independence, Beijing –, Washington, NATO, Sima’s, US, Russian Locations: United States, Beijing, China, Ukraine, Taiwan, ” China, Russian, Weibo, American, California

☆ Threads, Twitter and Mark Zuckerberg's long history of copycat apps and features
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Zuckerberg's latest not-quite-innovation comes in the form of Threads, an Instagram-based Twitter competitor. Musk, meanwhile, replied with a laughing emoji to a Tweet saying that Threads was a straight copy-and-paste of Twitter. For every copycat product that Zuckerberg has rolled out over the years to great success, others have failed to gain traction. "Despite all the frustration," Ives says, "many people start their day with coffee, brushing their teeth and looking at Twitter." Here are some notable copycat apps and features rolled out under Zuckerberg's leadership.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, hasn't, Dan Ives, Ives, it's Organizations: Facebook, News, Meta, Twitter, Wedbush Securities, Mastodon

☆ McDonald's Indonesia is offering a $200 wedding package that includes 100 chicken sandwiches
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The fast food chain's Indonesian social media account this week announced that it will begin offering catering for couples who are tying the knot. The "Wedding Mekdi" package includes 100 chicken sandwiches and 100 four-piece chicken McNuggets orders, the company revealed in an Instagram post that includes imagery of both menu items as well as a bouquet of flowers and a pair of gold wedding bands. "Make your wedding more memorable with the Wedding Mekhdi package," the post reads. Larger weddings will be able to increase the size of their orders, and the post also advertises an on-site food stall service. 1 best piece of advice for regular investors, do's and don'ts, and three key investing principles into a clear and simple guidebook.

Persons: McDonald's, Warren Buffett Organizations: The Sun, CNBC Locations: Jakarta, Hong Kong

☆ 8 Disney classics are coming back to movie theaters: Here's when you can watch 'Toy Story' 'Pirates' and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In celebration of the House of Mouse's 100th anniversary, Disney is re-releasing eight classic films back into theaters, some of which haven't seen the big screen in decades. The lone live action film on the slate is 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." "Pirates," based on the popular Disney World ride, will lead into the release of another film based on one of Disney's theme park attractions, "Haunted Mansion." "And certainly, it doesn't hurt to have a lot of Disney branded content out there ahead of the release of their other films." These are all the films that Disney is re-releasing.

Persons: haven't, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Disney, Pixar, Pirates, AMC, CNBC Locations: Caribbean

☆ Wimbledon 2023: The favorites to win the championships, the main challengers and how to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite struggling for form in the lead up to the French Open, Djokovic found his A-game when it mattered most in Paris and looked largely unstoppable. Lisi Niesner/ReutersRybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a grand slam title after beating Ons Jabeur in three sets in last year’s Wimbledon final, catapulting her to stardom overnight. Belarussian Sabalenka and Poland’s Iga Świątek are joint favorites to win the title alongside Rybakina, according to bookmakers. Sabalenka has three titles to her name this year, including that maiden grand slam in Australia, and has matched her career-high of No. Iga Swiatek is a four-time grand slam champion but is yet to win Wimbledon.

Persons: Novak, Roger Federer’s, –, Björn Borg –, Djokovic, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Garros, Carlos Alcaraz, Susan Mullane, Reuters Alcaraz, Alcaraz, – Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe, Julian Finney, Francis Tiafoe, Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, Elena Rybakina, Donna Vekić, hadn’t, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Lisi Niesner, Reuters Rybakina, Belarussian, Iga, Rybakina, Sabalenka, Aryna Sabalenka, agains Karolina Muchova, Veronika Kudermetova, Świątek, Tatjana Mariana, hasn’t, Joaquim Ferreira, Coco Gauff, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Madison Keys Organizations: CNN — Tennis, All England Club, Wimbledon, Roland, Queen's, USA, Sports, Reuters, Queen’s, Getty, Stuttgart, Eastbourne International, Czech, Stade Roland, Bad, Junior Wimbledon, Bernarda Pera, BBC, ESPN, Tennis Channel Locations: London, Paris, Germany, Wimbledon, Kazakhstan, Australia, United Kingdom

But officially colour-blind France has long refused to acknowledge any racial factor was at play. "From that point on, unions were involved in everything that's co-managed, including the managing of human resources," he told Reuters. But these fines are rare and rights groups say police officers often end up with light sentences, fuelling a sense of impunity. A rise in lethal police shootings over the last few years has been linked to a law reform in 2017, which broadens the circumstances in which an officer can use their firearm. "It is completely vague, and it allows to shoot much more freely," said Caille of the left-wing CGT police union.

Persons: Cedric Mas, Olivier Cahn, that's, " Cahn, Christophe Castaner, Gerald Darmanin, Franck Louvrier, Nicolas Sarkozy, Darmanin, Ravina Shamdasani, Anthony Caille, –, Sebastian Roche, Michel Rose, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Rights, Twitter, Cergy University, Reuters, Socialists, United Nations, Police, CGT Police, of, Society, CGT, Thomson Locations: PARIS, Britain, France, United States, Paris, Moroccan, – France, U.S, Nice

CARACAS, June 30 (Reuters) - Ex-lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, a favorite to win the Venezuelan opposition's nomination for president in an October primary, is barred from holding public office for 15 years, the controller general said in a letter to a lawmaker. Machado, a 55-year-old industrial engineer, is leading polling for the 13-candidate primary, convened to select a unity candidate to face President Nicolas Maduro in a 2024 election. A previous ban placed on her has been extended because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, the letter said. Machado's fellow primary candidate Henrique Capriles, who has twice run for president for the opposition, was barred from public office for 15 years in 2017. Reporting by Mayela Armas and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Jose Brito, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, Brito, Henrique Capriles, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Venezuelan, U.S, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela, American

☆ From 'Super Mario' to 'The Little Mermaid': The 10 highest-grossing movies of the first half of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

At the halfway point of the year, the Hollywood box office has been dominated by familiar faces. "Pretty much every film in the top 10 is either a franchise film, part of known IP or a known brand," Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, tells CNBC Make It. It's a repeat of 2022, where nine of the 10 highest grossing films were sequels. The $4.35 billion raked in by the domestic box office so far is 20.7% higher than at the same point in 2022, according to data from Comscore, and a full 350% better than 2021's pandemic-stunted haul. However, it is still 20% shy of 2019's pre-pandemic gross over the same time frame.

Persons: Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Guardians, CNBC Locations: Hollywood, Comscore

☆ France violence: Is it safe to visit Paris and other cities right now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Barry Neild | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Merzouk’s death appears to have become a flashpoint for anger about racial inequality in France and claims of police discrimination. Yves Herman/ReutersLimited curfews have been imposed in two towns close to Paris at the center of some of the worst violence. Several buses were torched in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. The violence and protests erupted after police shot dead a teenager in a Paris suburb. The central areas of Paris, home to the Louvre Art Museum and the Eiffel Tower have been almost totally unaffected.

Persons: –, Nahel Merzouk, Merzouk, Emmanuel Macron, Trappes, Yves Herman, Nicolas Tucat, it’s Organizations: CNN, Elite, Eurostar, London —, Reuters, Ministry of, Metro, Louvre Art Museum, Eiffel, US State Department, State Department, Foreign, Commonwealth Office Locations: Paris, France, Bus, Parisian, Nanterre, Montreuil, Neuilly, Clamart, ”, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, London, Roubaix, Aubervilliers, Préfecture, Nicolas, AFP

Machado, a 55-year-old industrial engineer and former lawmaker, is leading polling for the 13-candidate primary, convened to select a unity candidate to face socialist President Nicolas Maduro in a 2024 election. A previous ban placed on her has been expanded because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, the letter said. The ban does not affect Machado's ability to run in the primary because the opposition is holding it without state support. The opposition has said for years that bans are used by the ruling party to prevent political change. Machado's fellow primary candidate Henrique Capriles, who has twice run for president for the opposition, was barred from public office for 15 years in 2017.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Jose Brito, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, Brito, Henrique Capriles, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Venezuelan, American States, U.S, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela, Washington

It was unclear what proportion of the $70 million raised by Americans for Prosperity Action, the Koch network super PAC, will go directly to tackling Trump. News of the $70 million raised was first reported by the New York Times on Thursday. The Koch-backed network of political organizations was founded by Charles and his brother David Koch, who died in 2019. The Koch network has yet to back a candidate, but has joined other big Republican donors in scrambling to try to defeat Trump. The Koch network intends to make an endorsement before the Iowa caucus in early 2024, the AFP official said.

Persons: Charles Koch, Donald Trump, Koch, Joe Biden, Trump's, The Koch, Charles, David Koch, Ron DeSantis, Trump, Biden, DeSantis, Steven Cheung, Alexandra Ulmer, Ross Colvin, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Republican, Koch Industries, Prosperity, Koch, Trump, New York Times, AFP, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Florida, Iowa

☆ 'Barbie' merch is everywhere and fans can't get enough: 'When you're an icon, everyone is familiar with you instinctively'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Barbie" isn't just the biggest ticket of the summer, it's also the hottest merch money can buy. Since its creation in 1959, the Barbie brand has had countless partnerships and licensing arrangements with brands in related industries. "When you're an icon, everyone is familiar with you instinctively," Quint tells Make It. "Add on the marketing push that you get with a Hollywood film, and you've got the explosion of attention, content and partnership around the movie." The boutique cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse is leaning into the Barbie hype, launching its first-ever tie-in merchandise collection alongside the film.

Persons: isn't, it's, Margo Robbie, Matthew Quint, Quint, you've, Barbie, they'll Organizations: Malibu, Columbia Business School, Alamo

☆ Argentina announces over $1 billion in credit from World Bank, IDB
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, June 28 (Reuters) - The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will provide Argentina with funds totaling over $1 billion, the South American nation's economy ministry said on Wednesday, adding these should go toward development and energy projects. The move comes as cash-strapped Argentina battles to rework its debts and comply with financing programs with other international financial bodies, such as a $44 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Argentina's economy ministry said the World Bank was giving $900 million in financing for development projects in clean energy, health care and climate resilient infrastructure. The country, along with Uruguay, was also awarded with a $400 million credit program from IDB to improve the supplies at the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Complex and extend the facility's "useful" lifespan, the ministry added in another statement. Reporting by Nicolas Misculin and Carolina Pulice; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nicolas Misculin, Anthony Esposito, Sarah Morland Organizations: World Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, IDB, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Uruguay, Salto, Carolina

☆ Argentina announces over $1 bln in credit from World Bank, IDB
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, June 28 (Reuters) - The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will provide Argentina with funds totaling over $1 billion, the South American nation's economy ministry said on Wednesday, adding these should go toward development and energy projects. Argentina's economy ministry said the World Bank was giving $900 million in financing for development projects in clean energy, health care and climate resilient infrastructure. The country, along with Uruguay, was also awarded with a $400 million credit program from IDB to improve the supplies at the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Complex and extend the facility's "useful" lifespan, the ministry added in another statement. The funds come as Argentina faces a major challenge to bring down a 100%-plus inflation rate, replenish scarce foreign currency reserves and alleviate social issues including four-in-ten people living in poverty. Reporting by Nicolas Misculin and Carolina Pulice; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Indigenous Guardsmen Who Rescued Colombia’s Missing Children
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Genevieve Glatsky | Julie Turkewitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Then, just beyond the broad leaves of the jungle, Nicolás Ordóñez could make out the form of a small girl, a baby in her arms. Mr. Ordóñez, 27, a young man from the humblest of backgrounds, stepped forward, soon to become a national hero. He and three other men had found four Colombian children who had survived a terrifying plane crash followed by 40 harrowing days in the Amazon rain forest — and whose plight had drawn worldwide attention. But these men did not wear the uniform of the Colombian military, or any other force backed by millions of dollars mobilized for the massive search. Instead, they were members of a civilian patrol known as the Indigenous Guard — a confederation of defense groups that have sought to protect broad swaths of Indigenous territory from violence and environmental destruction linked to the country’s long internal conflict.

Persons: Ordóñez Organizations: Colombian, Indigenous Guard

☆ Opinion: It wasn’t like this in Moscow in 1991
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The short-lived rebellion prompted a furious reaction from his patron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the usually cool modern-day czar. Long day covering a coup in Moscow on 1991, with @wolfblitzer and the legendary reporters Dick Blystone and Tom Mintier, with photographer Phil Turner. Our CNN Moscow bureau was teeming with action. In a famous image from August 1991, Russian President Boris Yeltsin rallies demonstrators against the coup plot against Mikhail Gorbachev. But even many of his opponents rejected the notion of a military coup.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Isn’t Putin, Wolf Blitzer, Mikhail Gorbachev, Gorbachev, Dick Blystone, Tom Mintier, Phil Turner, that’s, Crews, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “, Erdogan, Hugo Chavez, Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, –, Prigozhin’s, Don —, Prigozhin, Russia’s, Facebook Prigozhin, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Wagner Group, Frida Ghitis CNN, AFP, Getty, Protesters, Putin, Twitter, Facebook, NATO Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Soviet Union, Crimea, Long, CNN Moscow, Ukraine, Ankara, Turkish, Venezuelan, Venezuela, Rostov

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